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It's a very, very good popular album. You probably already own it.

Sometimes, a good band will put out a naff record, even though everything seems to be going well for them. And sometimes they'll do the opposite, and defy all the odds and come up with a blinder. Fleetwood Mac's 11th studio record is just that, and is one that is probably going to be found in the music collection of every other household it was such a success.

I doubt that the band had any inkling that come 1976, they would lay down the tracks for what would become one of the best selling albums of all time. Given that the band was a fairly volatile concoction of two couples, both of whom had just split up, and founding member Mick Fleetwood was also getting divorced, it's remarkable that they even managed to work as a unit. If accounts of their entourage are to be believed, a metric shedload of booze and drugs may have helped them muscle their way through such things to get some songs recorded.

But what songs. Although the majority of them have been played if not to death, then at least onto life support, by unimaginative radio DJs, it's easy to see why. While the blues purists would decry this album as nothing short of heresy, since it doesn't have original blues guitar champion Peter Green on it, it's fair to say that this incarnation of the band had evolved beyond their original British blues origins. With relative newcomer Stevie Nicks adding a second helping of female vocals to the lineup, they also recruited a great songstress in her own right.

'Rumours' has often been called (by people on the internets - I can't cite them so sue me) as the ultimate break-up album. Every song on here is devoted to love, relationships, sex, heartbreak and moving on. Opener 'Second Hand News' lets us know right from the off that this is an album born from turmoil. As Lindsey Buckingham declares 'I know, there's nothing to say/Someone has taken my place', we know that this is probably not the best record to listen to if you've just been dumped. Or maybe it is, I'm not sure I've never tried it - it might be quite cathartic.

The songwriting here sees the band firing on all cylinders. 'The Chain' is haunting, and constructed in a very unusual way, with 3 part harmonies delivering the first verses, followed by *that* riff that is now synonymous with Formula One coverage, and the main refrain of the song coming in at the end. Makes a change from the predictable verse/chorus/verse/chorus/solo/chorus/fade bollocks that blights so many hit songs. Anyway, there's more. 'Dreams' is a typical Nicks song, all dreamy and delivered in her unique ethereal voice, and later covered much less interestingly by the Corrs. 'Go Your Own Way' has been well-cooked by excess radio coverage, but it's still a great up-tempo song that carries the heartache with all sincerity.

The album as a whole works as a unit, even though it is made up of a number of monster hit singles. While most of us will be familiar with 'The Chain', 'Go Your Own Way', 'Don't Stop' and 'Dreams', it is marked out by the appearance and interplay of the three vocalists. Listening to them all in order, it pans out like some sort of demented love triangle; Lindsey Buckingham's 'male' compositions are basically all 'go away, I'm not interested any more', Christine McVie's include the open-hearted, softer ballads 'Songbird' and 'Oh Daddy', and Stevie Nicks flits between wronged woman, love-struck immaturity and the devil in a black dress. She unleashes her man-eater side on final track 'Gold Dust Woman', a murderous ballad seemingly both about coke addiction as well as breaking a man's heart, just because she can. Whether or not they intended it to work as such a performance piece is unknown, but it adds a whole new spin on things. This one is greater than the sum of its already considerable parts.

The album sleeve gave us all the clues before the needle even hit the groove though, as she whirls around Mick Fleetwood in her Welsh witch 'Rhiannon' persona. And I've only just noticed the massive pair of, ahem, 'balls' strategically located under Fleetwood's crotch, while he gazes upon her sporting a look somewhere between fascination and indifference. What's that line from 'When Harry met Sally' - 'boys and girls can't be friends because the sex thing always gets in the way'. Could've been a tagline for this album.

There is one fundamental flaw with this album though, and that was the band took the unwise decision to relegate the best song recorded during the session to a mere b-side. 'Silver Springs', a gorgeous Nicks-penned ballad was intended for the collection, but didn't make the cut for some bizarre reason. Personally I'd have chopped out the slightly naff 'You Make Loving Fun' and replaced it, but some later versions now include this in its rightful place at the heart of the album. Given that it sways and swells and crashes like the surges of a new and tumultuous relationship, it culminates in the best line of the whole album - "You'll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you". A truer line has never been written.

Crystal-clear production is also worthy of note, capturing everything that the band plays perfectly and presenting it in a marvellous way. There are a few benchmark albums by which I judge others, merely on their clarity, mastering and production. This is one of them, along with Love's 'Forever Changes', Led Zeppelin IV and the 'Black' album by Metallica. Good production can make a good album sound great; here, it makes a great album sound world class. If only albums were created in this way today, rather than via the retarded 'everything up to 11' approach to mastering...

Available almost everywhere, 'Rumours' is one of the 5 best selling albums of all time, so picking up a second-hand copy should be relatively easy. I found mine for 50p in a charity shop. Bargain.

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Beautifully performed ageless rock songs.

"Rumours" is the 11th studio album by rock band, Fleetwood Mac. It was released in 1977 on Warner Bros. Records and produced by the band with Ken Caillat & Richard Dashut. The line-up for the album was Stevie Nicks (vocals), Lindsey Buckingham (vocals/guitar), Christine McVie (vocals/keyboards), John McVie (bass) and Mick Fleetwood (drums).

During the time "Rumours" was being written and recorded, there was a lot of emotional turmoil and personal upheaval going on in Fleetwood Mac. Mick Fleetwood and his wife were going through a divorce, and Christine and John McVie were also divorcing. To add to the band's distress, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were suffering through the dying embers of their relationship until it also came to an end. All those raw emotions added a depth of feeling to the songs that can't be produced by someone not feeling them at the time. At the same time, being able to produce such flawless songs tells a lot about the professionalism of each band member. For each to be able to put their music and art ahead of themselves, and also work closely with the person causing such hurt and occasional anger, is one of the marks of a true professional.

The album contains a range of songs, from the beginnings of love, through true devotion, to the raw pain of the end of what once was so beautiful. While many songs on other albums from the 70's stand out immediately as being from that decade, these don't. Each one is timeless, speaking to any generation, with a fresh quality that prevents them from sounding dated.

"Second Hand News" starts things out with an upbeat sound, although the song really is sad. The lyrics can be interpreted in more than one way, depending on your emotional feelings at the time, but the overall feeling is of someone who has been replaced by a new love, and learns what is going on with his former girlfriend through other people.

"Dreams" was written by Stevie Nicks in about ten minutes during a time she wasn't needed in the studio. Lindsey Buckingham added to the chords to make them sound different, yet tie them all together. Although it is a slow and melodic song, it has more of a dance beat than other songs written by Nicks. This track is a reflection of all the sadness, bitterness and pain being felt by each member, and the need to be professional and carry on while the person you are hurting over and upset with is in the same room, also trying to carry on.

"Never Going Back Again" has an almost folk feel to it, with great use of finger picking on the guitar. The song offers simple, heartfelt lyrics with an easy to sing to chorus. The vocal and guitar harmony blend seamlessly on this one. The simplicity of the song makes it stand out, and it is one of those great songs that prove less is more. The message that he is aware of and has learned from his past mistakes and has resolved to never repeat them is clear, the music is brilliant, and even though the song is short, it feels complete with no need to be longer or more complex. Anything added to it would detract from the song and make it pale in comparison to the way it is.

"Don't Stop" tells of Christine McVie's feelings of looking forward as her eight year marriage to bassist John McVie is coming to an end, of an acceptance that 'yesterday is gone', and looking forward to the future instead of always thinking of what was. Although the lyrics aren't as deep as some of their other songs, the message is heartfelt and clear. It has an upbeat tempo with an instantly recognizable keyboard into drum intro. It offers a feeling of hope, that there is life still to be lived, when it could easily have been written as a gloomy, sad song given the subject matter. It was used by U.S. President Clinton during his first campaign, most famously at the 1992 Democratic National Convention. He has used it during other appearances, post term. Although it is about looking to the future after a relationship ends, the message of looking forward can be used in other situations.

"Go Your Own Way" is about the complicated, and then ending relationship between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Upbeat compared to most 'end of a relationship' songs, it is passionately sung with a lot of emotion. The song has a bittersweet feel of reflecting on what was, yet knowing there is still good to come in life. You get the sense they are releasing each other with a full heart for the love they'd had for each other, yet there is an undertone of sadness and a touch of bitterness that is inevitable. The fact they were able to sing these beautiful harmonies while their relationship was crashing down around them makes them even more incredible.

"Songbird", one of the four songs on the album written solely by Christine McVie, is beautiful from start to finish. It is a simple, pure song of true, all encompassing love. Piano conveys the emotion like no other instrument could have. It is uncluttered, without the need for more than a piano and a beautiful voice soaring on the wings of love.

"The Chain" is unique on the album as being the only one credited to all five members. Although it is a rock song, it has folk, hard rock and country influences, with banjo being used for the riff. The final section begins with a bass progression created by Mick and John. Stevie had written the lyrics and thought they would go good with this piece. Some reworking was done by Christine to create the beginning section of the song. Lindsey's input was part of an earlier song he'd written about Stevie and himself.

"You Make Loving Fun" was inspired by an affair between Christine McVie and Curry Grant, the band's lighting director. It is one of those songs you find yourself singing along to each time you hear it. You get the sense it is Christine saying she is ready to move forward in life.

"I Don't Want to Know" has a bouncy feel to it, keeping it upbeat. The lyrics, however, tell of a relationship coming to an end, and the two people wondering about the confusion it leads to. You know you loved the person, and the person loved you, so why don't you still feel the same toward each other. You want the person to be happy, even if it means being with someone else, but hope he or she is truly sure you are not the one before going.

"Oh Daddy" is a ballad with a slow melody. The music is strong although slow. It is said to be dedicated to Mick Fleetwood for being a constant in Christine's life, as a father figure, during the turmoil and sadness of her divorce, and through the upheaval in the band during the time.

"Gold Dust", written by Stevie Nicks, also has lead vocals by Nicks. She has said she isn't completely sure what the song is about, but in an interview she has said, "I don't really know what "Gold Dust Woman" is about. I know there was cocaine there and that I fancied it gold dust, somehow. I'm going to have to go back to my journals and see if I can pull something out about "Gold Dust Woman". Because I don't really know. It's weird that I'm not quite sure. It can't be all about cocaine." Whatever the reason behind the song, her haunting voice is the perfect choice for the song.

In summary, if you are looking for timeless songs filled with real emotion that didn't have to be faked, this is the album for you. Fleetwood Mac have offered incredible album after incredible album during their career, but this one is a shining example of just how talented and professional they are musically. Offering a solid rhythm section and outstanding vocals, "Rumours" is easily one of the best albums of not only the 70's, but of all time. I can easily recommend it to anyone, because each song on it is well written and performed.

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Great stuff.

**Introduction**

When it comes to Music I like a huge variety of different styles and eras. Although I'm not the biggest fan of Fleetwood Mac over the whole span of the bands existence I happen to really like some of their work. Especially the all too short period with Peter Green before his troubles with drugs and mental health. The other famous era of the band was of course the Stevie Nicks/Lyndsey Buckingham era which is still going strong today although not as commercially successful.

**Rumours**

This is one of the most famous albums of all time and also one of the biggest selling too. Album sales of over 40 million copies worldwide and it is also one of the most critically acclaimed albums regularly placing in lists of top albums of all time. The album wasn't as straightforward however and was named due to the amount of media during the run up to recording the album and the breakup of John and Christine Mcvie's marriage and the fallout afterwards. The press wrote about a rumoured return of original Fleetwood Mac members Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, and Jeremy Spencer for a 10th anniversary tour yet the band stayed the same and recorded their best known album of all.

1.) Second Hand News

This is a catchy track which features a slight country feel, Nicks and Buckingham take on lead vocals and as the track moves along with a real pep you find yourself tapping your feet to the melodies. Not only is this an excellent opener but it really doesn't sound dated at all and you could quite possibly have heard something like this in more recent years. There's some excellent guitar work from Buckingham to end on. This is one of the shorter tracks on the album.

2.) Dreams

Changing the mood we have the Stevie Nicks penned ballad which was covered by The Corrs. The original version is much more emotive and is better musically. Nicks does an excellent job with her lead vocal and the song is about bad times getting on top of you. At the time the Mcvies had recently separated and soon Stevie and Lindsey would split too but also stay in the band. This is an excellent track which is far superior to the covered version by The Coors which for me doesn't get the emotion of the song right.

3.) Never Going Back Again

This is a track written by Lindsey Buckingham, he provides lead vocals on this one and also provides an excellent guitar part which is catchy and works well with the rest of the instrumentation. A simple yet very effective song which has some excellent catchy tones and melodies. One of the best slower tracks on the album and another example of the range and variety of Fleetwood Mac. So overall an impressive track which ranks amongst the top on the album.

4.) Don't stop

This is an excellent track written by Christine McVie. It's about moving on from a relationship and moving on with your life. It features some excellent guitar work from Lindsey Buckingham and is one of the tracks that really shows how well they blend with each other musically. A catchy song with good emotion and is one of the best on the album and was one of the band's most enduring hits, It was the second single from the album and was released in October 1977.

5.) Go your own way

This track was written by Lindsey Buckingham and is one of the most highly rated tracks from the album. Another catchy track, It's one that shows the musicianship of all the band members. I'm not sure I'd go as far as some have with the praise but it is certainly an excellent track which features some excellent guitar work from Lindsey Buckingham and some good drumming from the main man Mick Fleetwood. So overall a very enjoyable listen.

6.) Songbird

This track is One of four songs on the album that was written solely by Christine McVie. It's a lovely piano based ballad which features excellent vocals from the writer. This track has been covered by Eva Cassidy, John Frusciante and Willie Nelson. I like the change of the song compared to the other styles covered on the album. It's a beautifully simple and well sung ballad which showcases that the band had three very capable lead vocalists. Quite a rarity for a band.

7.) The Chain

This is the most well known track on the album and even those who don't know that it was by Fleetwood Mac will undoubtedly recognise it. This track is the only track on the album that was written by all of the band members and Thanks to its use as a popular TV theme tune for the BBC's Formula One coverage it's one of the most well known pieces of modern music. I love the way it develops and changes styles throughout until the harder break which features the fabulous combination of that unmistakable bass hook from John McVie, that drumming from Mick Fleetwood and that roaring guitar work from Lindsey Buckingham. What a track!!!!.

8.) You make loving fun

This is an excellent catchy rock track with some excellent bass licks. It's more experimental than some of the others with some keyboard sounds. This is a very flowing track which was solely written and sung by Christine McVie and features some excellent guitar work from Lindsey Buckingham that really tops of the overall feel of the song. Another excellent track with fine musicianship. The song was inspired by an affair McVie had with the band's lighting director.

9.) I don't want to know

This opens with a nice guitar part and then the drums and other instruments come in. The melody is a very catchy one and the song moves along nicely. The track was written by Stevie Nicks and the vocals from Nicks and Buckingham blend well together. Overall this is a very pleasant track indeed. Another great example of how they could craft great catchy songs with memorable choruses and melodies.

10.) Oh Daddy

This is a lovely gentle track which opens with gentle acoustic guitar and then the keys come in. Christine McVie comes in with the lead vocals. This is one of the best tracks on the album and is really well sung by McVie. The musicianship of the band really shines through on this track as the music builds. It features some excellent laid back guitar strumming which adds a nice touch. Overall a fantastic mellow track.

11.) Gold Dust Woman

This is a Stevie Nicks written track which is said to be in part about cocaine, Although in an interview she said " It's weird that I'm not quite sure. It can't be all about cocaine". It's an excellent song which has a mellow mood with some fine lead vocals from Nicks. I really like the way this one builds and it ends really well with a louder more musically aggressive feel. The track has elements of country and blues and ends with a feel akin to the latter which really works well.

**Overall**

This is an excellent album which deserves it's place in Music History as one of the biggest selling albums of all time. It showcases the musicianship of the members of the time. Lindsey Buckingham - vocals, guitarMick Fleetwood - drums, percussion, Christine McVie - vocals, keyboards, John McVie - bass guitar & Stevie Nicks - vocals. It remains an album that sounds current which is amazing considering it was recorded in 1976 and released in 1977 but I guess great music somehow doesn't sound dated. For me this is the bands most complete album and a must have for any Fleetwood Mac fan.

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That's What I Call Proper Music!

I was first introduced to Fleetwood Mac last year when I was at a recording studio recording Eva Cassidy's 'Songbird' and the producer told me that the Fleetwood Mac version was much better, and since then I have liked the band.

Rumours is an album by American band Fleetwood Mac and was released in the United Kingdom in 1984 and so is quite old now. The CD is currently available for sale from Amazon for a price of £7.99.

I love this album! The songs on this album are so catchy that you just can't help but sing along!

It's quiet funny really , because I wouldn't never ever say I liked country music, unless it is blended with music from another genre, like rock or pop (like The Corrs!), but I really like this music!

Songs which stand out for me are definetely; 'Songbird' (it's so emotional and powerful!) and 'The Chain'. They are some great songs - I don't know how I have managed, being such a music fan and all, to miss all of these great songs!

The album has a very 80's sound which is good. I never realised until realised how good of a decade the 80's was for music, and this music is no exception. I love that this album is so different compared to the music that is in the charts these days; it is so much more about the instruments and voices and not the electronic voices we get in the songs today.

The singers have such great voice; quite unique sounded voices, yet voices that can really sing and blend really well together. I especially like their harmonies; now that's what I call proper singing!

This album has a very laid-back feel; the kind of album you could listen to whilst chilling out on a Sunday afternoon. I think it was also make a good CD for the car.

If you like good music, then you should like this! This is a real classic album!

Thanks for reading!August 2011xd-o-n-z-x (also posted under xdonzx on ciao)

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Fleetwood Mac's second, and perhaps most lauded, album

The start of an album can often be a clincher, and while arguably it wouldn't have mattered quite so much in this instance, the fact that Fleetwood Mac's second album, 'Rumours', kicks off with an up tempo and catchy track in 'Second Hand News' makes you want to listen to the rest in a very pleasant mood. This is, of course, forgetting the lyrics and reading between the lines, as it were, which is often how the album is spoken of. The combination of music, lyrics, recording, and underlying meanings have often been seen as early indications of problems in the band that were only obvious in hindsight.

One of the key things about this album for me is the recognisability factor of many of the songs. I'm sure we all have occasion to pause and realise that we know a song really well, almost word for word, and yet have no real knowledge of the artist or band it belongs to. I must confess, I was exactly the same with plenty of the songs on here, and feel ashamed that I thought The Corrs had originally penned 'Dreams', the second song here on the album. Listening to Stevie Nicks' soothing vocals on this track instantly makes me feel relaxed, but it's tinged with a nick of guilt is my misunderstanding and ignorance.

These opening two tracks are beautiful in combination, and where you to only listen to the music and sing along without seeking meaning in the lyrics at all, then there'd be no real indication of any common issues floating to the surface. But listen further and the construction of the album reels off lists of failed relationships and constant hope and 'moving on', portraying what went on behind closed doors with the band. The third track is perhaps one of the best examples of this. 'Never Going Back Again' pretty much says it all with its title, and the fact that it is lyrically minimalistic and relies more on definite and assured acoustic guitar sounds to drive home its point is quite obvious. The magic here, though, is that if you just listen to the music, it is another brilliant, if short, piece of music.

Then came my second piece of recognition, where I went: 'Hang on, I know this song. Was it THEM?' It's a song that has featured on various TV shows and adverts, but 'Don't Stop' doesn't lose anything without the visuals, and comes as a welcome up tempo beat to the album after the slow and soft second and third tracks. But again, that underlying negativity and failed relationship tale that the album has at its heart and soul.

It may be worth taking a look at the state of the band at the time of this album being written and recorded to get a better understanding about their personal situations at the time and thus an explanation into the bitterness and unlucky in love projections the album pushes forward. After reformation and the success of their first album, Fleetwood Mac were very much in the public spotlight, and various press related insinuations were quite negative and incorrect. The members of the band had personal relationships going sour, and these often affected the setup of the band, who would turn up for what, who was seeing which lighting director, and of course the various tensions between the band members themselves at the time. You can almost see the rifts happening here, even at such an early stage in their commercial success.

Despite this obvious negativity that is laced through the album, though, you can't help admire some of the genius on show here, and it's not just the individual songs either. Album construction is a vital part of any successful release, and if a band were to release a number of hit records it would merely be a greatest hits album. Original albums such as this are naturally harder to construct and rely on a process and not just throwing a bunch of tracks at each other and passing it off as an album. Most artists, FM included, spend time building an album. Indeed, this was one of the reasons for 'Rumours' being set back a few months in terms of its release. They didn't feel as if they had the right construction, as the recording of the entire album had been rather disjointed due to the politics going on that I mentioned earlier. I suppose we'll never really know for sure, as we weren't there at the time and aren't in their heads, but their eventual separation was laced with enough controlled animosity that hindsight tells us 'Rumours' has it all - just in its title!

What is clever about each track is the ability to make a seemingly up beat and fun song quite aggressive and lovelorn when it comes to the lyrics. The musical genius of Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie in terms of the writing as well as the performances with their respective instruments promotes one anxious side of things, while Nicks and Buckingham's vocals are well combined. Christine McVie's vocals are perhaps the most powerful in terms of effect, although I'm not sure whether this is due to her vocals seeming rather isolated, and Mick Fleetwood's percussion is a steady constant throughout. I quite like the fact that, as someone not the front man for the band on stage, Fleetwood's drums are the one thing that remains regular and reliable throughout. They don't stick out, but are quite memorable after the fact, and you realise that despite everything else going on, it's almost as if he's just letting them carry on about their business while he merrily drums away, ignoring all the rubbish going on around him. I'm sure it's quite as simple as this, but this is the interpretation I gained through the percussion side of things.

'Go Your Own Way' is another I was never aware that was Fleetwood Mac's until I first heard it, and the same goes for the heavenly 'Songbird', which is perhaps the most beautiful song I have ever heard. Various artists have performed it, whether changing it to add their own twists, or merely a straight copy as it needs no changing, but the beauty of it on this album is almost worthy of shedding a tear or two, and there aren't many tracks I'll say that about.

Yet despite this beauty, and the rather eclectic end to the album with a string of individual and less band orientated tracks such as 'Oh Daddy' and 'Gold Dust Woman', it seems quite strange that my favourite track on the album is one that they all had a hand in bringing to production: 'The Chain'. Perhaps it's the more positive feel the song has to it, despite the lyrics having a certain negativity at times, but I think it has the most comprehensive sound to all of the tracks, and just when you think it has finished, out comes the biggest shocker of the album: the Formula 1 music! 'Dreams' and 'Songbird' I heard by previous artists way before I heard these originals, 'Go Your Own Way' and 'Don't Stop' I hadn't realised were Mac songs; but I was never prepared for the F1 music randomly popping up, and it had never occurred to me that this was where it was established. At first, it's a bit surprising, but afterwards, you realise that it has actually provided the most memorable bit of the album, for one simple reason: they're jamming. There's no complications in the audio, it just sounds like pure jamming, with someone happening to record it, and as the song fades out, 'Wow!' was the only word that came to my mind. It was great.

You can now get an expanded and remastered edition of the original 1977 album, which has one extra track on the main disc, and then a second disc featuring 'Roughs and Outtakes' of the album's recording, and a few extras tracks. This second disc might be interesting from the point of view of seeing where things could have gone wrong, but aside from hearing some tracks that obviously aren't on the original album, this second disc didn't really take my fancy. I much prefer listening to an original album and then forming my own opinions and understandings of the music through this, as opposed to following a string of versions that 'could have been'. It's interesting, but not necessarily something I would choose myself.

'Rumours' regularly features on all time best album lists, and it's easy to see why. The music is excellent, and some considering it groundbreaking, with their use of electric sounds to bring their acoustic focus up to date with things at the time. It displays a basic and raw sound that leaves mistakes nowhere to hide, while portraying a keen eye and ear for where music was to follow, and I think it still has a lot of relevance and timelessness over 30 years after its initial release. Any album that can hold its own and still sound relevant that much later on shows character and skill are on show. You can get this expanded and remastered version for £4.99 or thereabouts from various places at the moment. I highly recommend it as an album to at least listen to once, even if you're not sure whether to put it as part of your treasured collection or not. It's in mine.

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A phenomenal and culturally significant album

Fleetwood Mac's second studio album 'Rumours' is generally considered to be one of the most remarkable and culturally important albums ever recorded (see Murrells or Easlea for example), selling 13 million copies upon its release (Murrells, 1978:387) and receiving worldwide critical acclaim. In this review I will look at what I consider to be the main elements in the consideration of 'Rumours' as a culturally significant work; examining the album in relation to the cultural and social framework of the time in which it was released and subsequently exploring the dynamic relationship between popular music and social change.

Despite Fleetwood Mac having their origins in the UK, my analysis will focus on the bands reception in America and examine the album in relation to the socio-political landscape in the US at the time. I have made this decision for several key reasons; 'Rumours' was recorded in the United States, the addition of American couple Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks greatly improved the bands commercial appeal (and could be considered a primary factor in their subsequent success) and the band's major breakthrough in terms of both commercial and critical reception happened primarily in America. I therefore feel it most relevant to examine the characterisation of the era in the United States rather than in the UK.

'Rumours' was released in the early half of 1977 to an America that was experiencing a profound shift in their cultural, social and political landscape. As many previous academics have demonstrated (see Berkowitz or Friedman for example) the seventies era witnessed a series of events that reconceptualised the implicit contact between citizens and their government, that forced a new consciousness of individual and group rights, and that ushered in a new era of popular culture (Friedman 2006:7). Politically, the decade was dominated by two major events; the end of America's participation in the Vietnam War (1973-1975) and the Watergate scandal and subsequent resignation of President Richard Nixon (1974). Considering these significant blows to two of America's biggest symbols of their strength and power and its subsequent effect on the cultural climate, it is little wonder why the decade is characterised by a pervasive sense of insecurity spread broadly across the American landscape (Friedman 2006:8). By 1976 confidence in government officials in the US had dropped to 22 percent, from a previous 61 percent in 1964 (Slocum-Shaffer, cited in Friedman 2006:8) and nearly 70 percent agreed with the phrase "over the last ten years, the country's leaders have consistently lied to the people" (1975 National Survey, cited in Berkowitz 2000:6).These two major events strongly challenged fundamental American beliefs and cultural identities; Watergate led to the alienation of the public from the politicians they elected to represent them and reconceptualised the role of the press in America (Friedman 2006:9) whilst the death toll (58,022 US soldiers), cost (approx. $140 billion) and total military and diplomatic failure of the Vietnam War (Berkowitz 2000:50) taught the United States people that their military power was not unlimited - a notion that did not sit well with most American citizens' cultural and national identities.

It is this contextualisation of 'Rumours' within this US socio-political setting that leads us to a pertinent element in the consideration of the album as a culturally significant release. Many consider the album to be an 'antidote' to the era (Easlea 2007:1); a sonic removal from what was happening in the US at the time (Davis/Fleetwood 1990:86). Whereas (particularly contemporary) artists may have dealt with similar socio-political issues in a more linear, direct and/or aggressive way (take John Lennon or Rage Against the Machine for pertinent examples), Fleetwood Mac chose not to address the situation in their music at all; instead writing an album of songs that dealt with the personal relationships within the band (although this will be discussed more later). This resulted in a collection of songs that are musically and lyrically a complete removal from the troubling socio-political context in which they were produced, whilst still remaining in touch with the sense of loss and hope engrained in the emerging US national identity. This idea is epitomised in the track 'Songbird', which Stevie Nicks eloquently and somewhat pertinently described as "a little anthem for all of us" (cited in Davis/Fleetwood 1990:134). This idea of the album being considered an 'antidote' of the era is further strengthened by examining the production of the album through a similar theoretical framework; there is so much space and freedom, so much left out in the production and sparse instrumentation that it allows a similar 'sonic removal' from the difficulties of the era. If the 70's could be considered to be characterised by redundant excess, you are extremely hard pushed to find a similar notion in the production or instrumentation of 'Rumours' (Easlea 2006:1). Excellent examples of this minimal production are 'Dreams' and 'Don't Stop', both of which benefit immensely from Ken Callait, Richard Dashut and Fleetwood Mac's ('Rumours' CD liner notes 1977) incredibly sparse instrumentation and production.

The 1970's saw the majority of what is described as the 'second wave' of the feminist movement, despite this however throughout the 70's there were very few established female solo artists or front-women of rock'n'roll bands. The few exceptions there were (Carole King, Joni Mitchell for example) consistently had to confront the issues of gender; finding themselves constrained by popular audience's conceptions of women (Thompson 2000:3). Academics have suggested that masculine values (particularly in reference to American culture) consistently define what is considered important in the national culture and as a result of this the songs by women that have survived or reached a 'classic' status are those which fit the male-determined stereotype (Butruille/Taylor 1983:183). Women then are often seen to have to fit in to pre-determined roles in the music industry, particularly in the seventies. An example of this presence of gender-specific stereotypes would be the career of Janis Joplin, who struggled with confronting the male dominated world of music whilst still attempting to maintain her own sense of identity (O'Brien 1995). Despite Joplin being an individual, dynamic and sometimes forceful artist she was generally considered to have an aura of powerlessness rather than being a powerful artist or woman (Ibid 1995:271). Her heart wrenching and emotional style was met generally by the public with pity, giving the artist a sense of vulnerability and fitting her into the classic male-determined female stereotype of a victim (Butruille/Taylor 1983). Endres furthers this idea, suggesting that coming across a mature, intelligent woman who is consistently portrayed and considered in that way in the music industry is a rare occurrence (Endres 1984:17), particularly in the 70's era. I would suggest that Stevie Nicks deals with this issue of gender extremely well and is one of the few artists to present herself consistently as a strong, intelligent powerful woman, whilst still fitting in to a certain male-defined stereotype of women as vulnerable. The track 'Dreams' from the 'Rumours' album epitomises this idea; the song is about a woman who has been broken up with - rather than the female perspective eliciting pity from the listener Nicks manages to present herself as vulnerable and strong at the same time (Thompson 2000:4). There is a certain wisdom in her lyrics that moves away from the more usual vengeful, lost or helpless feeling portrayed by other female artists covering a similar subject matter, examples of this are:

Players only love you when they're playing / women they will come and they will go / when the rain washes you clean you'll know

Here I go again / I see the crystal visions / I keep the visions to myself

The lines 'players only love you when they're playing' and 'women they will come and they will go' suggest a real wisdom and strength and 'when the rain washes you clean you'll know' highlights a lack of malice or need for vengeance; she is suggesting time will heal her wounds as well as bringing a 'karmic realignment' in relation to her ex-lover. Nicks manages to present the feeling of vulnerability through the fact that she is the one that has been broken up with; subsequently there is a sense of loss and sadness about the song that is balanced out by the attitude, vocal delivery and lyrical content. The track ends up portraying Nicks in an intelligent and strong way without alienating her from the dominant male-defined stereotypes of the era. As a result of this Stevie Nicks managed to portray herself in a way that was unobtainable to so many other female artists around her, she dealt with the gender boundaries that existed in a way that was unique at the time. It is worthy of note that Stevie Nicks's inclusion in Fleetwood Mac prior to the recording of 'Rumours' was a primary contributing factor in the bands' commercial and critical success ('Dreams' was the bands' only number one single) and her unique way of surmounting gender issues was a critical element of this. This approach to the issues of gender and its subsequent positive causal effects on the commercial success of the album is a pertinent note in the consideration of 'Rumours' as a culturally significant release.

Quite apart from the cultural and political context in which the album was recorded and released, the intense personal relationships between the band members had a huge effect on the individuals themselves, the band, the music, the lyrics and the album as a whole. In the months leading up to the recording of 'Rumours', Lindsey Buckingham separated from Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood separated from his wife and John and Christine McVie also split (Classic Albums: Rumours 2004), although all five members remained in the band. It is also suggested that Christine McVie had an affair with the groups lighting director (Davis/Fleetwood 1990). Both Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood commented on the difficulties of the band members having to spend long hours with each other when really they didn't want to be in each others lives at that time (Ibid 1990). The band members who were breaking up had no real separation from each other and were forced to deal with the emotions of recording an album at the same time as dealing with the issues in their personal lives. It is worthy of note that Christine McVie pertinently commented on the writing of the album, stating that they "were all writing about each other", and this is the likely cause of the title of the album (Classic Albums: Rumours 2004).Given this extremely sensitive context in which the album was recorded, the individual tracks take on a far greater weight of meaning. The previously mentioned affair between Christine McVie and Fleetwood Mac's lighting director is reportedly the subject for 'You Make Loving Fun'; both 'Go Your Own Way' and 'Dreams' refer to the break up of Nicks and Buckingham; 'Gold Dust Woman' is a reference to Nicks' addiction to drugs; 'Don't Stop' refers to the divorce of Christine and John McVie and 'Songbird' is a soft anthem laced with a sense of hope that seems infinitely more touching given the context in which it was written (Davis/Fleetwood 1990 and Classic Albums: Rumours 2004).The album has a far greater impact on the listener when they are aware of the context of the recording - the intensely personal nature of the album's subject matter gives it an extremely sensitive and delicate feel when listening to it. In this respect it is comparable to John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band (1970); both albums deal with extremely personal issues; both albums elicit an emotional response from the listener that could be compared to reading someone's diary or eavesdropping on an emotional conversation and both albums utilize minimal instrumentation and production in order to heighten the emotional resonance of the tracks (although they do so in slightly different ways). Where 'Rumours' sets itself apart is the optimism and wisdom that permeates the albums lyrics and feel. Whereas Lennon's work demonstrates a huge amount of pain, disillusionment, bitterness and anger whilst dealing directly with both personal and socio-political issues, Fleetwood Mac's album carries the same kind of emotional weight and resonance without losing the upbeat, optimistic outlook that clearly permeated into the music itself and allowed the band such commercial viability. Ultimately, 'Rumours' portrays such emotional angst and a real resonance with the listener without depressing them; it displays a bright, wise and optimistic outlook on life which easily could have acted as a musical anecdote for the cultural and political issues that permeated everyday society. The album's ability to do this is an extremely pertinent element in the consideration of 'Rumours' as a culturally important recording.

There can be no denying 'Rumours' was an extremely successful commercial and critical album, both during the era of its release and decades afterwards; in 1978 it received a Grammy Award for Album of the Year 1977; in 2001 VH1 placed it at no.16 in the greatest albums of all time; in 2003 it was ranked no.25 in Rolling Stones Magazines' 500 greatest albums of all time and it has now been re-issued in both the US and the UK, selling over 33 million copies worldwide (Eslea 2006:1). These figures alone suggest an element of cultural significance to the recording (although admittedly in a very linear way) purely as the album has graced the homes of so many different people over the last 30 years, making it a part of the social fabric of millions of lives and inextricably part of American popular culture.The amount of academic examination the work has received also points to a definite cultural significance - The sheer study of 'Rumours' places it firmly in both the spheres of high art and contemporary popular culture; suggesting that culturally significant conclusions can be drawn from the academic examination and analysis of the album. Overall, given its consideration as an 'antidote' to the era whilst still keeping firmly in the bounds of generic conventions and in step with its times (Ibid 2006:1), Nicks' surmounting of gender issues and the album's ability to present such personal issues in such a positive light 'Rumours' can certainly be considered a culturally important album. It exists not only as an extremely enjoyable recording but also as a shining example of what can be produced in the face of such personal, cultural and political turmoil; a microcosm of the human condition and its conceptual and cultural links with hope, emotion and loss. Invariably then, 'Rumours' is a work of significant cultural importance and one that will exist in the fabric of popular culture, in both the US and the UK, for generations to come.

References

Butruille, S. and Taylor, A. (1987) Women in American Popular Song (p. 170-190) Norwood, NJ: Ablex

Classic Albums: Rumours (2004) [DVD] Eaglevision

Davis, S. and Fleetwood, M. (1990) Fleetwood: My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac (p 80-150) New York: William Morrow

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A CD of pop mastery

Where to start on this album is quite difficult, with four hit singles, a number one album both sides of the Atlantic and one of the highest selling records in history (over 40million sold to date), its an album that tells a story and projects brilliance into your ears as it does so.

Before recording the album the relationships of band members were suffering; John & Christine McVie's marriage of over eight years had just ended, Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks' relationship ended leaving Nicks and Mick Fleetwood to start a secret affair, and all of the surrounding tension was present in each and every recording session. This tension, in addition to the excessive cocaine use of most of the band, does have affect the end result of the album but that is by no means a negative. The music is heartfelt and the lyrics often touching on delicate subject matters of broken relationships and new relationships and the thoughts that this incurs whilst the bands creativity was immense in this period as was their working hours (both part attributed to cocaine by Christine McVie in the biography channel's "Classic Albums : Rumours").

The album opens with the Buckingham composed "Second Hand News", an up-tempo track boasting incredible harmonies, which like all of the tracks on this album, was more than worthy of being released as a single. Another Buckingham penned track however did become the first single for the band released from Rumours in "Go Your Own Way" which performed well and reached number ten in the billboard 100. "Go Your Own Way" is one of the songs which, as mentioned earlier, demonstrated some of the relationship troubles in the band with Buckingham having written it about splitting up with Stevie Nicks.

Stevie Nicks does come back and tell her own side of the story somewhat, with "I Don't Want To Know" and the excellent number one hit "Dreams", each telling a little bit more of her side of the story but never forgetting how to make an excellent song. Listening to songs like these with such personal lyrics (about each other) you can't help but be amazed at the cohesiveness evident on each track, and how each member compliments each song in their own way.Christine McVie also offers a number of first class songs to the album, the second single released from Rumours "Don't Stop" which was used in Bill Clinton's presidential campaign, has remained one of Fleetwood Mac's most popular hits; the thoroughly enjoyable "You Make Loving Fun" inspired by her relationship with a man working in the recording studio at the time the album was recorded (not a band member, but sources disagree with the occupation of this man) and what is probably the album's highlight, "Songbird". Songbird is a slow, melodic track dealing with her love for an unnamed man with the quiet and gentle verses building up to a beautiful chorus with Christine stating "And I love you, I love you, I love you / Like never before". Whoever this song is written about is indeed, one lucky man.

Also included on this 'all killer, no filler' album is the cocaine influenced "Gold Dust Woman" written by Stevie Nicks, one of the album's darker tracks and one with mystical, hard to interpret lyrics, and the unforgettable, stop-start track "The Chain" featuring writing credits from each member of the group, with some of the most incredible harmonies you will hear and one of the world's most recognised bass lines.

Rumours is an album full of hits, all eleven original tracks on this album could be released as singles and perform well so it is no surprise that the album has performed so well over time. It'll be hard to find a bad word written about this album and I'm going to make it even harder. 10/10

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A timeless, powerful and very special album which is worthy of a place in anyone's music collection

The award-winning Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Released on 4 February 1977 (I was way too young to appreciate it then!) the album spawned four hit singles (Go Your Own Way, Don't Stop, Dreams and You Make Loving Fun) and was the bands most successful release, with sales of over 40 million copies worldwide to date. The record went to number one in both the US Billboard 200 and the UK album charts. It is the 14th best-selling album in British history.

Bubbling underneath this global success, however, lay an acrimonious tale of affairs and relationship breakdowns from which no member of the band was immune. Rumours is a record steeped in anger and recrimination and fuelled in no small part by excessive partying and drug-use.

Things hadn't been going well for the band for a few years previously. Founder Peter Green had departed, leaving the remaining core members of drummer Mick Fleetwood, bassist John McVie and his wife Christine who played keyboards, in a state of flux and lacking in musical direction. They recruited Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, a singer-songwriter duo. With this addition their sound graduated from their blues roots to something more pop-oriented.

The very fact that Rumours managed to get off the ground is quite incredibly in my opinion considering that the band was on the verge of imploding. Stevie Nicks once said that Fleetwood Mac created the best music when in the worst shape, which was a very shrewd observation. Rumours is given a nod by many of the most credible names in the music industry (and beyond) in their 'best of all time' shortlists, including Rolling Stone, Q , Time Magazine, USA Today and The Guardian.

What's absolutely clear is that when you listen to this album you're not just on a musical journey. It's much more than that. You're privy to the deepest feelings and thoughts of people who are actually going through something, and whilst that could be called voyeuristic (there's no doubt in my mind that in some way the huge success of Rumours can be attributed to that) it's also, for me, a deeply personal experience and, in some parts, very sad. It's compelling listening; I'd put money on the fact that most if not all of us can relate to at least one of those tracks...

Rumours takes the listener down a path on which we are exposed to the whole spectrum of emotions that people feel when their in love; happiness; elation; sadness; desolation, and desperation. This is evident in the differing styles of composition throughout. Stevie Nicks' Dreams, a beautiful, soft track which, if you failed to listen to the words carefully, would belie the fact that it's about a horribly painful breakup between her and Lindsay Buckingham "Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom, well who am I to keep you down?", who can't empathise with that? Don't Stop is an upbeat and catchy anthem and, although it's about the break-up of John & Christine McVie, it's optimistic, "Why not think about times to come, And not about the things that you've done". I like the sentiment here - you can't change the past so don't dwell on it. You Make Loving Fun is again, whilst upbeat in its delivery, is actually about an affair Christine embarked on as she and John were in the process of splitting up. The track begins with the line "Sweet wonderful you, you make me happy with the things you do". Ouch! Talk about sticking the knife in. You can only imagine how John was feeling listening to his estranged wife singing this.

Not only that, however, it also touches on the darker side of human nature. Gold Dust Woman, penned and sung by Nicks is widely believed to be about her cocaine addiction. She has never admitted that publicly, preferring to state that she wrote it whilst under the influence and that she doesn't know exactly what it's about. This is perhaps very telling as the track seems to be infused with nervous energy, as if you're not quite sure where it's going to go next. However, with lyrics like "Rock on - gold dust woman, take your silver spoon and dig your grave", it seems to me like an overt, if perhaps unconscious, reference to a spiralling drug habit.

As vocalists, McVie and Nicks have very different styles. McVie has a wonderful voice which is really hard to describe. The best I can do here is to say that, for me, it's like she's singing with a blocked up nose! I know that doesn't sound flattering - but it's truly unique and has a distinctly husky undertone which ebbs and flows depending on the track. Nicks' voice is almost ethereal. On Dreams it's sublime. Close your eyes and you're taken somewhere else completely. This track gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. The three-part harmonies that we hear throughout the album between Nicks, McVie and Buckingham work perfectly with the differing vocal styles and are exquisite.

Each writer penned their own tracks individually but they did sometimes come together to share lyrics (with one exception being the, perhaps very aptly titled, The Chain, on which all five members of the band collaborated on). Perhaps, because of this, it only became apparent to the band how emotionally charged and transparent the album was in retrospect. When the band completed recording, they listened to the album back to back and came to the realisation that that they had created something 'pretty powerful'. I certainly wouldn't argue with that!

Disc 2 contains roughs and outtakes from the album tracks plus early demos of Brushes, Think About It, Gold Dust Woman, Never Going Back Again, Planets of the Universie, Butter Cookie and Doesn't Anything Last.

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Full of emotional ups and downs well within the rock and pop domain

This review will be based on the track listing of the original vinyl release.

This is a must have album, and what you need to know when listening to it, is that it was written over a period of time when all the band members were having relationships with each other and going through the subsequent break ups.

These relational quirks are apparent in the songs here, but lets forget this for a moment. The songs stand up on their own, musically. For me the lyrical content of a song isn't too important - I tend more to listen to what the music is saying. Without a doubt the tunes on this album are outstanding, catchy and thematic.

The album flows nicely from song to song and with change of mood.

The album starts off with the upbeat and catchy Second Hand News the lyric being gently interrupted with sparky guitar. A nice intro to the album, and not the best track, but enough to make you want to hear more. This goes straight into the popular "Dreams", which I understand The Corrs also popularised more recently. It is melancholic by attention grabbing. Following is "Never Going Back" again, which is folksy, short and to the point. It tells a simple story, but to the point. Succinct is the word.

"Don't Stop" has a lovely intro, one of those ones that build up and the song goes into a lovely 4/4 drivealong' beat. I love the piano in this it is simple, understated, but shines through. "Go Your Own Way" has a great drum rhythm, I am no drummer, so wouldn't know how to describe the drums, let's say it is not your standard snare on the 2nd and 4th beats. Even though the song is a bit standard, the unusual drum beat gives the song its own thing.

Side one ends here with the beautifully selfish-with-a-twist "Songbird" The piano and vocal carry a whole bunch of emotions in a few simple lines.

Side two starts with "The Chain" This is a slow mournful song, in fact it is not the best song on the album, but you might recognise a rather anthemic bass line at the end leading to some searing lead guitar, if you are into motorsports - "Ah" you will proclaim "so that is where that tune comes from"

"You make Loving Fun" follows is a little in yer face straightforward song of praise, though you can't help but detect a little tongue in cheek. "I Don't Wanna Know" is quirky and has a lively crescendo thing happening in the background of the chorus. The last two songs are a bit down and depressing "Oh Daddy" is a song that pleads and prods at the emotions, although it is not really clear who. The last track Gold Dust Woman is a self-indulgent Stevie Nicks number which mixes her love life with her drug life.

I have found with many albums that that I start with side two first and side one last. This is a good way of doing this album, as you build up to the excitement of The Chain's endpiece. You can then go through the album and end up on the rather restful "Songbird"

A classic which needs to go on your Christmas wish list

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One of the best albums ever written

When I was about 14 I heard the song "Go your own Way" at my friends house. I had heard of Fleetwood Mac, but didn't really know any of their songs, and my friend played me the whole "Rumours" album (which was her parents).

I loved this album and went out and bought it straight away, and it has been one of my favourite albums for about 20 years now. (Gosh I am old!)

From loving this album I went on to find out much more about Fleetwood Mac, and I found that this band have had more drama going on than a Eastenders script.

Fleetwood Mac began in the mid 60's and have had many personnel changes during that time, and the only consistent one has been Mick Fleetwood. At the time that the Rumours album was released, the line up was :- Stevie Nicks - vocals Lindsey Buckingham - guitar, vocals (Stevies Partner)John McVie - bass guitarChristine McVie - keyboards, vocals (Johns Wife)Mick Fleetwood - drums, percussion

Rumours took 11 months to create and record, and during this time Mick Fleetwood had a separation and subsequent divorce from his wife. (Though they did remarry again), Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham also split up, as did Christine and John McVie. So you have an album being written where everyone involved in the songwriting and creativity has extreme trauma in their lives.

Because of this John McVie originally suggested that this should be called "Gossip" because with all the backstabbing and gossipping going on between the band members it seemed an ideal name, but eventually they called it "Rumours".

The first track 'Second Hand News' is written and sung by Lindsey Buckingham with backing vocals by Stevie Nicks. It is a very "cowboy" sounding song, and the current track out by Take That (Up all night) is very reminsicient of this.

The second track 'Dreams', sang by Stevie Nicks was one of my favourite songs, and one that I can actually sing. I could do such a mean Stevie Nicks impression after listening to this album that my brother (who also fell in love with this album) even convinced me to consider applying for "Stars in their eyes", that was until I switched on and saw that they already had a "Stevie Nicks" contestant on this, and someone had beaten me to it. Sadly, The Corrs came subsequently came along and ruined this song for me completely.

'Never Going Back Again' is again sang and played by Lindsey Buckingham. This also has a country and western cowboy vibe about it.

'Don't Stop,' is another of my favourite songs which the whole band sing along to, and it just genuniely is a feel good song, which was written by Christine McVie. Don't Stop has since been used by US presidential candidate Bill Clinton as the theme for his first campaign and when he won the election, President Clinton persuaded the Fleetwood Mac line up to reform and perform it for his inaugural ball in 1993.

'Go Your Own Way.' - Another amazing song. This song totally highlights what an amazing guitarist Lindsey Buckingham is, and what a great drummer Mick Fleetwood is.

'Songbird' by Christine McVie is a much more peaceful song and is literally Christine and a piano. The words are beautiful, and if you get the chance to look these up then do.

'The Chain' - "Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise". This song has been written by all members of the band. You probably know the rift on this as it's used on grand prix racing.

'You Make Loving Fun' is written by Christine McVie and is very jolly singalong song, and one I will happily sing along to in the car.

'I Don't Want To Know.' is another country and western style song written by Stevie Nicks.

'Oh Daddy.' is very much a Christine McVie song. It's quite a deep and depressing song, and is one that really makes you stop and think.

'Gold Dust Woman' - The final song is a Stevie Nicks work of genius. It starts off slowly and builds to a thumping cresendo.

There are also probably more stats about this album that any other, apart from maybe "Thriller", and so here are some of them....

1) Not a single one of these songs when released as a single made the top 30 in the UK.

2) Rumours was the best-selling album of 1977 in the United States, spending 31 weeks at number one, and it sold over 8 million copies.

3) Fleetwood Mac won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Rumours at the Grammy Awards of 1978.

4) In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Rumours at number 25 in the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

5) Worldwide, this album has sold more than 30 million copies.

The reason I love this album is that unlike with most albums, every song is great. Theres no song jumping necessary, and each and every track is great.

After I bought this album I was luckily enough to see Fleetwood Mac in concert twice, (though Lindsey Buckingham had left and in the words of my brother "was so good that they had to replace him with TWO guitarists"), and I have bought all their albums since. Whilst their other albums are good (particularly "Tusk"), none hold of them are anything like as good as this one.

It's an album that is quite "timeless", and when you haven't played it for a while and then you do get to listen to it you think "Wow!" all over again.

It you haven't ever heard this, then buy it, borrow it, listen to in online, do whatever you can to hear it. It's amazing!

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From sadness and sorrow, comes strength and hope. This was the album that conquered all......

Formed somewhere in London around the mid sixties, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, Bob Brunning (later axed for Jon McVie) and Jeremy Spencer drove a rough old van around the lesser known delights of The Swan in Fulham and The Toby Jug in Tolworth hoping for something better. It was probably far from their minds that it would take Fleetwood Mac a line up change and another ten years to finally reach the dream of sky high success.

And this was it .

Rumours was the rather aptly named album from Fleetwood Mac released in February 1977 following the success of Fleetwood Mac, the first album introducing Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham, the lovers of both themselves, each other as well as songwriters and performers in their own right.

The controversy surrounding the long awaited Rumours was not of the usual political sense like their contemporaries, but born out of the emotion traumas of the personal kind. At the very start of the back breaking recording of the album that by the end , had taken a tiresome 11 months, the band had just about endured all personal losses evolving each other that any human being could possibly face.

Mick Fleetwood had come into the first of two divorces from wife, Jenny Boyd (sister of the lyrically famed Patti Boyd, the subject of George Harrisons Something and Eric Claptons Wonderful Tonight), a weary and draining separation , but short lived as only four months after their finalisation of divorce, they married again. Being the father of the band and the one when other band members turned for security and stability, he had not only had to face the crumbling shambles of his own marriage but also to be the rock for the others when their personal troubles came to a head. Nicks and Buckingham, the golden couple of both visual beauty as well as creative genius were failing hard at their own personal relationship. After being together for some considerable length of time, they became bitter towards each other and this reflected in their song writing. Nicks, shortly after breaking up with Buckingham, started dating Don Henley from The Eagles, this added more bitterness to Buckinghams material. The final couple of the band were the McVies. Christine and Jon had been married for a few years and had enjoyed Fleetwood Mac together before the arrival of the younger two. Jon drank to excess and although well mannered when sober, became irritable and argumentative when drunk. They split and Jon started dating quickly, but perhaps only to black out the love affair of Christine McVie and Curry Grant, the lighting technician for the band. Perhaps it is not obvious then as to why this million selling album became the very pinnacle of all that was , from then on, Fleetwood Mac. There has never been an album of this kind ever since by any other artist.

13 times Platinum in the U.S and 10 times in the U.K, it held its number 1 position in the American album charts for a breath taking 31 weeks. Over here it shot to number 1 again and remained in our charts for an unbelievable 447weeks. Rewarded a Grammy for Outstanding Contribution in 1988 and entered into the rock and roll hall of fame, it is not easy to find another band such as this in the 20th century.

Surprisingly, the only number 1 that the band have ever had was with Albatross in December 1968. It is even more surprising to find that from any of the singles from the Rumours album, not one of them made it any where near the top 20.

Where Jon McVie came up with the title of the album, he was reported to have said later that it should have been called Gossip as it was a mere collection of whispers, between each member about each member. What we hear then perhaps is something that is so personal that the listener feels that he is almost intruding on conversations that shouldnt be heard by anyone else other than the band. Each track was heartbreakingly true, coldly written and soul baringly correct that it appears like a musical diary of the vents that were taking place within the band at the time. It could be said that the best albums in the world are born out of tragic loss, even death amongst the groups.

Do we hear their pain and relate to it on an intense personal level? This could be said for maybe a small minority of listeners. The rest of us just hear a tune that we like the sound of .

The album was purely inspirational, not just to themselves but to other artists that followed them. A gruelling schedule of 18 hours a day in the recording studio was what it took after the first two months peppered with technical difficulties and production hitches that in the end, the entire album was recorded in 4 different studios panning from California to Florida. It was no wonder that none of the members couldnt stand to se the sight of each other every morning, but yet, these strong willed, hard headed, passionate people may have lost their passion for each other for good, but this only drove the desire to produce an album of such strength and quality in its place.

Second Hand News does not beat around the bush. Written by Buckingham, we can now imagine which song from the album is directed at who. This may have been a dig at Nicks for her relationship with Henley, but even so, there seems to be an uncontrollable optimism underlying within. With Nicks providing the backing tracks, it is bizarre to think that this track, sung and performed musically so well by Nicks and Buckingham, that they forget totally what the subject matter is actually all about and who its about. Nicks, in her early years, had such a beautiful voice, slightly gravel sounding but yet, a twang of cutesy cowgirl. A voice that was unmistakeable. There is something very light and almost happy about this track that its hard to take the lyrics seriously. The usage of voice and instruments in this piece comes across now as a very dated sound. True to its era, its full of little jingly bits and interludes of down down down down down down down down thats very singable. Its the perfect track to take the listeners concentration away from the depressing theme of the album as a whole.

Dreams, in my mind has been done to death in recent years by other artists that even the original has lost its appeal. One cant help but think of The Corrs when listening to this track, although it will always belong to Stevie Nicks. Her voice, sweet, small and sounding a little immature, it creates the feel of a country karaoke. An interesting touch of slide guitar illuminates the feel of the track in its gentleness and unassuming touch.

Never Going Back Again again is an uplifting song with only the incredible acoustic playing of Buckingham to accompany his vocal. Soft mmms drift in and away quickly to fill a gap here and there, but apart from that, we are hearing a perfectly played guitar. For a young man, Buckinghams voice also acts as an instrument in this track, so pitch accurate, the range is wide in this track, and again, he fails to impress.

Dont Stop, is one of those tracks that, as a whole, Fleetwood Mac will always be remembered for. Written by Christine McVie, each in turn, has a piece of the lead vocal. A track written for the band members I feel as a personally encouraging letter to all to believe in a better tomorrow. Reached a surprisingly low number 32 in the charts April 1977, I strongly believe that this record was ahead of its time. A track that has been used in a wide variety of things since its release, I firmly recommend it for any post break up, by the end of the track, youll forget the name of the person who you were crying over in the first place. Its sheer brilliance shines through its enlightening melody. It lifts the soul and the working of these voices together brings strength and character to the track. Inspiring musically and emotionally uplifting lyrically.

Go Your Own Way. This track maintains this wonderful, spiritually powerful album. This thunderous track allows the talents of Mick as a drummer and Lindsay as a guitarist shine throughout. Nicks hammers hard at her tambourine whilst all member provide the backing as well as the lead.Released in February 1977, it managed a pathetic number 38 in our U.K charts. Obviously, this track went straight over peoples heads at the time. Perhaps only now, with our planet and existence in such turmoil and uncertainty can we actually appreciate this album for the personal struggle that it really was and relate to the struggles we all face today, tragically, on a daily basis.

Songbird by Christine McVie guides us through the next faze of album. On a sombre note now, we are allowed to listen to a voice so clear and untouched by anything electrical. Not only an accomplished pianist, Christine, I feel has always been the underling of the female content in the band. Nicks, with her charm, beauty and dance techniques across the stage has always captured the long hard stare of her audience, and there, at the back, unlit, no fancy costumes or make up, stands Christine at the piano. Without the looks and the youth of Nicks, she holds the ears and eyes dead when performing this track live. Her voice carries to where ever she wants it to go. For you, therell be no more crying, for you, the sun will be shining. Her lyrics, simple but meaningful, it is difficult to imagine who she is directing this track to. Perhaps to Mick, the rock of all rocks within the band; the master of all that is Fleetwood Mac, the on looker, guarding his frightened flock, the one they look up to. Personally, I feel that she is directing this to any one who is listening. A soft guitar from Buckingham wanders in unnoticed and the song ends with a touch of the left hand floating along up the keys

We now enter the second half of the album. Fully refreshed, hardened against the cold winds of time and the after math of broken hearts, we come down to the serious business of who is going to leave the band and who has got the guts to stay and hold it together. Within The Chain, we find that it is this track that is the most symbolic of all. We imagine, the band, now sullen faced, standing face to face and peering suspiciously at one another like a scene from High Noon. The only track on the album that is written by all of the members of the band, it is one long question that they are asking each other. The Chain, being the band itself. Musically it has an edge that we havent experienced from Fleetwood Mac to date, it feels hard and cold and optimistic smiles are now wiped away from our faces. Damn your love, damn your lies. (Oooh, not happy bunnies) Mick fuels this bitterness within these lyrics with lots of cymbals and drum beats, then comes the very famous (now ruined by Formula One) piece of outstanding guitar playing ever recorded. Unfortunately one can hear (in ones mind) Murray Walker wailing another Murrayism .. This is a timeless track and will always have a place in the tracks of all time line up. Their voice unite towards the end swearing the chain will never break, and truthfully, (apart from a few on and off moments) it never did.

You Make Loving Fun was supposed to be a tune regarding the affair between Curry Grant (yes, thats right, Curry) and Christine. Written by Christine, it almost comes as an idyllic interlude from all the dislike between members having a pop at each other. Its refreshing to hear a song about two people wanting to be together for a change. A simple track, it hold no emotional turmoil and on a musical note, it lacks any form of depth and rage where guitars and drums are concerned. We, as the listeners are almost disappointed, how dare we! The chart position? Number 45 if you must know I dont think its going to get any worse than that .

I Dont Want To Know. was a pretty little song written by Stevie Nicks. We are starting to pick out the styles of the members as individual writers. Nicks, in these early years wrote gypsy style songs full of trill country notes. Her mystical, white witch era was to follow shortly. It was unusual, then and now, to find a band where all the members were writers also. Mick and Jon were known to step aside and allow the others take the limelight. Just the mere fact that the band was their baby was enough I think to keep them going instead of writing songs. Going back to the track, we can hear that this is very Nicks. Her lyrics tend to rolling quickly into each other, unlike Christine whose not afraid to stand alone with just a piano. It is almost as if Nicks, still young and impressionable, hasnt yet developed the confidence to allow her audience to actually ear her voice. She was still, with this album, at the stage of feeling the need to surround herself with instruments, practically drowning her out. Its a pleasant enough track but her voice seems so lost that when the instrumental break cuts in and she stops singing, one hardly notices.

Oh Daddy. Is now, we can hear clearly, definitely a Christine McVie track. Her voice, mature, focused and womanly, when Nicks still sounds so girlie. Christine does have professional years on Nicks so it is hardly surprising. In this track she exchanges standard piano for soft, mellow keyboards. Micks rambling drums give it a ballad and bluesy feel. Buckinghams sporadic guitar plays around with no tune in particular and the whole track denotes a sorrowful feel. It was questioned as to who this track was about. Since on the release of the album, the press had not cut corners in expressing the friction between the members. By this time, the album was being analysed and dissected to the hilt. This was a beautiful song. I dont it really mattered who it was about

Our final track, 'Gold Dust Woman' takes us a little by surprise as it suddenly gives us a chance to hear Nicks for real. Standing alone, cold and tired, this track reportedly took 8 takes to get it spot on. Wrapped in a thick blanket and alone in the studio, she huddled over the microphone and only gave the whole track the atmosphere that it needed just by this visual concept. We are experiencing the birth of Stevie Nicks here. She gives a performance that from that moment on, became her trademark. The track opens with a single tap on a closed cymbal. Nicks voice changes. It has strength. She sounds, suddenly, not the little girl, shy and dreamy, but hardened by her troubles, an old woman, wise and ancient. She has transformed herself into a witch, staring into the flames of her ferocious bonfire. She speaks of wisdom and knowledge. It is now that the other members have palled into insignificance. It was from this time on that Nicks became the front man of the band. Not surprising, she was the performer and the dancer. Dressed in black floaty silks, lace and ballet shoes, she twirls her rib boned tambourine up and around her head like some Celtic fairy. This track gave her the pedestal to climb upon. Her voice flutters and she accentuates certain words and phrases to a back ground of a mixture of slide guitars, gothic drum and rambling bass. A track to listen to just to pick up the wonderful array of instruments used. There is even something that sounds strangely like a wailing banshee towards the end.

Despite the troubles of this band and the desperation they individually felt throughout the recording of this album, it is the very last thing that the listener experiences. I have never owned such an enlightening, inspiring and soul lifting album. Born out of fears of the heart, it gives the listener joy and hope. On a dull, miserable, wet and dark February afternoon, do yourself a favour, dig this album out, blow the dust of it, and watch the sun come up in your room ..

Still very much available in high street record shops. Priced around a fiver.

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Perfection

Fleetwood Mac  Rumours.

Re-released 2005 on Warner Bros.8122-73882-2£9.99 from Up Beat, Bude.Anything up to £20 everywhere else.

This is a classic. If you are into rock music of any kind, and havent heard Fleetwood Macs Rumours album, well, shame on you. Rumours defines lightweight West Coast Rock. It oozes sunshine, sun tans, fresh air and sex from every groove. No spliff required.

Thats it. Nothing more to be said.

What we have here is an expanded 2 disc set. The first disc has the original Rumours album on it, remastered. I will not go too deep into this as its been written about so much my teeth ache.

Needless to say, the remastering has been long overdue, and what was a smooth seventies classic is now a super slick classic for the 21st century. This has not aged one iota since its original release in February 1977. And comin from a hardened veteran of the barroom boogie wars like me, thats saying something.

If you are still playing your old vinyl copy of Rumours (and Im sure there are many of you out there that are) or even the old cd, this is worth getting just for the cleaned up original. And you also get Silver Springs, which was originally issued as a single-only release. Bonus

But, where this issue of Rumours hits the mark is the second disc. My oh my my my. This is an absolute treasure trove for anyone who loves this album. Eighteen tracks of roughs, outtakes, jams and early demos all from the Rumours period of Fleetwood Mac and all are unreleased.

The way its been compiled, it effectively replicates the finished album. To me, the songs are pretty much bang on, the finished items being just polished up renderings of the demos. Quality stuff. Even as rough cuts, Rumours sounds slick and finished, a product lesser bands would have killed for as their own finished effort.

The demos etc add an extra dimension to the slick face of Fleetwood Mac. The mistakes have been left in, as have false starts. Giving a fleeting glimpse of a band as work is in progress. The frightening thing is, it still sounds so good, even without extensive editing, mixing and mastering. Personally I find such archive stuff fascinating.

Im not going to go through standout tracks or anything like that, because by now you should know what they are (but if you must know, they are all standout tracks. Got it? Yes? Good). And if you dont, well, go out immediately and get a copy of this double disc issue. I promise you, you will not be disappointed.

The booklet that comes with the cds is class to. Plenty of pics I havent seen before and a good write up from Dave Dimartino (who?). A nice, inclusive touch, unlike some Ive seen.

I honestly cannot fault this album. Its a remastered classic that is timeless, and effectively comes with its own provenance too. What more could you ask. Quality, pure, unadulterated quality.

Very highly recommended.

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Fleetwood Mac are one of the most successful bands today. Their career spans an amazing 35 years, during which time members of the group have suffered tragedies, illnesses and different line ups. At the beginning of their career, Fleetwood Mac chugged along, reeling out single after single, but with limited success, apart from the classic single “Albatross”. However, after the introduction of Stevie Nicks to the band, their career took off, probably due to their complete change and outlook in the music they produced. Suddenly ballads and love longs were introduced to their repertoire. The band has been dogged with rumours about animosity within the group, arguments, fallings-out, but still they manage to stand the test of time and have recently released a new album “Say You Will”, but that’s another review. “Rumours” was released in 1977, and if you don’t have a copy, the chances are, you will have heard at least song from it. The album can be purchased from Amazon for £11.99. At the time of release the band members were as follows: John McVie: Bass Lindsey Buckingham: Guitars, Vocals Stevie Nicks: Vocals Mick Fleetwood: Drums/Percussion Christine McVie: Keyboards, Synthesizer TRACK LISTING ************* 1. Second Hand News 2. Dreams 3. Never going back Again 4. Don’t Stop 5. Go your own Way 6. Songbird 7. The Chain 8. You make loving Fun 9. I don’t want to know 10. Oh Daddy 11. Gold dust Woman "Dreams" is my favourite track from the album and is sung by Stevie Nicks, who also wrote the track. The songs begins with a rhythmic drum beat, followed by the introduction of an echoing guitar. The song again could describe the relationship between Nicks and Buckingham and deals with the issues surrounding a rocky relationships. Nicks’ voice is haunti ng on the track and the middle guitar solo, before the the second verse builds up, until the introduction of the drums and Stevie’s voice. This track sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it. "Now here I go again, I see the crystal visions I keep my visions to myself" “Never Going Back Again” is sung by Lindsey Buckingham and is my least favourite of the album. It begins with the fast plucking of a guitar and I can only say that Lindsey’s voice really has a country edge to it. The song is mercifully the shortest on the album, and with only the guitar for accompaniment it’s a relief when it’s over. “Second Hand News” is again sung by Lindsey Buckingham, and I have to say his is the voice of the group that comes bottom of my list. The song has an almost country feel to it and leaps into the vocals immediately, accompanied by a frenzied drum beat and guitar playing. As Lindsey, at the time the song was written, was in the process of breaking up with Stevie Nicks, one can only assume that the song was about the tough times that they were going through. Backing vocals supplied by Christine and Stevie. “Been down so long I've been tossed around enough” “Don’t Stop” is written by Christine McVie. This is a ballsy number and sung with attitude. The song begins with the keyboard, with the guitars then coming in and a wickedly fast drum beat. Although the girls do backing vocals, the male voice is so strong, they are outnumbered in the track. It’s a song that makes you feel positive about yourself with it’s constant reminders to look forward and not hanker for the past. “Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow, Don't stop, it'll soon be here” “Go your own Way” is another track sung by Lindsey but I have to say this one is a classic. Although the lyrics are agai n about his relationship breakdown with Stevie, the song is of a faster tempo and begins with the vocals followed by the crashing drums by the manic Mick. After the first verse, the tempo speeds up and you can only imagine Mick throwing himself over the drum kit in a frenzy. A classic. “Open up Everything's waiting for you” “Songbird” is a wonderful slow haunting song, written and sung by Christine that is another spine shiverer. A love song, that can only be described as out of this world. The song proclaims undying love and the feelings of being with someone who you are truly in love with. This track is just Christine and a piano in which her voice raises every time the chorus is sung. “To you, I'll give the world to you, I'll never be cold” “The Chain” was written by all the members of the band and has become a theme tune for Formula 1 on BBC television. The track is quite “dark” to begin with, which matches the lyrics perfectly, as they are threatening in a way. The song begins with a drum and a guitar, which increase in sound. After the first verse the singing gets more frenetic and the drums are played louder and faster. After the chorus, the song slows down again before the second verse. The wonderful piece of music at the end of the song starts with the bass guitar, with the drums increasing in intensity until it builds into a crashing crescendo. A masterpiece. The album is a classic, most probably due to the combination of lyrics, great drumming by a complete head case, and the talents of the whole group. There is a definite country feel to a couple of the tracks, but on the whole, I would recommend it unreservedly. “Rumours” is as much played in our house today, as when I first heard it just after its release in 1977. We are on our third copy, and out of all the Fleetwood Mac albums we have, this is without doubt , the favourite. All lyrics copyright the artist.

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Fleetoood Mac - Rumours Produced in 1977 , this is the ultimate modern Mac album , such is the complexity , raw emotions and quality , that abound from each and every track. To put this album into context , people should realise that of the five members of the group , only Mick Fleetwood was happy in his relationship or was it just the drugs ? . And it was only Mick Fleetwood , who kept the band together by allowing himself to be the buffer between each faction. John and Christine McVie were throughout the time of this albums recording , in the process of a bitter divorce between themselves . At the same time Lyndsey Buckingham was dramatically splitting up from long time lover Stevie Nicks . So what have you got ? Quite simply , 4/5 ths?s of the group at war with each other - hardly an ideal background or for that matter inspiration for music let alone performing . Yet despite all this , they continued to write and record tracks , each songwriter using the words and music to vent their anger on their respective partners , and the end result was the production of a superb biography , so rich in verse that it went on to receive many an award . If you were to ever only own one Mac record , then it should be this , although check out my forthcoming op ( yes a blatant plug ) on ?Tusk? . The tracks were as follows : 1) ?Second Hand News? Lyndsey Buckingham in sniping mood - ouch , but wow ! 2) ?Dreams? Stevie Nicks putting her views into context - haunting . 3) ?Never Going Back Again? Lyndsey Buckinham weighs up the pro's and con's to great guitar . 4) ?Don?t Stop? Lyndsey Buckinham / Christine McVie - powerful lyrics to a wonderous back beat. 5) ?Go Your Own Way? Lyndsey Buckingham in reflective mood - simply brilliant. 6) ?SongBird? Christine McVie sings what was actually the last track to be recorded , a haunting solo with just a piano , and recorded in an empty American football stadium. Perhaps the most haunting record ever written. 7) ?The Chain? The group written / sung song , immortalised as the BBC / ITV Grand Prix theme for many a year. Its about break up and the consequences . Simply great. 8) ?You Make Loving Fun? Christine McVie - new love comes forth . 9) ?I Don?t Want To Know? Lyndsey Buckingam / Stevie Nicks , a catchy song that helped heal the divide and provide the dawn of peace within the group. 10) ?Oh Daddy? Christine McVie - sorry John ( he?s Daddy ) , repentive & classy. 11) ?Gold Dusk Woman? Stevie Nicks , looking into a mirror , a great finale . The comments are my own , but I feel they sum up each track quite nicely . Think not , then let me know. Thanks for the read .

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What can I say, this album is quite simply a masterpiece. Every track is outstanding. The harmonies, the guitar, the basslines, the lyrics, it's hard to find anything that lets it down. My favourite track is "Go Your Own Way". The worst track is "Oh Daddy". The album is even more interesting to listen to after reading about the circumstances in which it was made. Most of the tracks are written by band members about other members of the band! It tells of the break-up of their relationships. I can listen to this over and over and it still sounds fresh and new. It's also great turned up really loud! It appeals to people of all ages too. I wasn't born when this album was released. Every self-respecting music lover should own a copy. I don't have the new DVD audio version myself but I'd recommend buying that version if you have a DVD player as it has an extra track "Silver Springs", which was meant to be on the album but was taken off for some reason. If you've heard that superb track on "The Dance", you'll understand why I think the DVD audio version is a good idea (as well as the better quality). Rumours" There can be few better albums to shine with interest on a new format, so now lets hear Rumours on DVD-Audio disc complete with a new multi-channel remix in order to persuade collectors to replace their tired old CD version. Besides the 3/2/1 mix there is also another significant change, that is the running order, "Silver Springs", a track previously abandoned due to vinyl playback time constraints now follows "Go Your Own Way", displacing "Songbird" to the end. An additional bonus is that the surround mix on "Silver Springs", is a very pleasent surprise especially for those who are familiar with the 2 channel mix. "Dreams" is decidedly warmer and now has a more rounded sound, possibly the way it was intended to be heard? In terms of over all fidelity the whole album profits from the air and space this new format gives ."I Don't Want To Know" and especially "Oh Daddy" have been given a facelift and a new lease of life on DVD Audio. There is no doubting "Rumours" has improved from it's 21st Century makeover. By way of supplemental material the disc has not much to offer, however the "Making Of" section, an audio only peice which is accompanied by a selection of still images in the background without vocals is an interesting look into the albums conception and final production. This album plays the moment the drawer closes, a boost to those who listen with the TV off. This album was released on the year I was born. Little can be said about this masterpiece. Many will say that Fleetwood Mac turned into music for the whole American family (I heard that..!) but just take a look at the cover and you will realise that you have seen it 1000 times in your life. That says it all really. Timeless MASTERPIECE! Thanx.